Weighing scale construction



INVENTOR.

ATTO EYS Nov. 9, 1943. w. ORT

. WEIGHING SCALE CONSTRUCTION Filed "Aug. 2 1940 WILLIAM ORT PatentedNov. 9, 1943 William Ort, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Walter F.Stimpson, Louisville, Ky.

Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 350,050

2 Claims.

This invention relates to weighing scales, and particularly toimprovements in stirrup mechanisms for connecting the loadcounterbalancing means to the weight indicating means of such scales. Animportant object of the invention is to provide such a stirrup mechanismwhich is simpler and less expensive to construct and install thanpreviously known devices of this class, and which provides for universaland practically frictionless movement between the parts it connects.

Still another object is to provide such a stirrup assembly which isconstructed entirely of sheet metal, and in which the alignment of thepart is positively maintained in a novel and extremely simple manner.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawingillustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similarreference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a weighing scale provided withstirrup means constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view, partly in front elevation and partly invertical section, showin the manner in which the stirrup mechanism issupported and connected to the nose iron.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 ofFigure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows, parts of thesupporting bearings for the hand and pendulum assembly being broken awayin a different plane, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the stirrup and a part of itssupporting strap.

Referring now to the drawing: reference character lli designates thebase of a fan-type computing scale, the several parts of which areillustrated as arranged conventionally, insofar as their generaldisposition is concerned. A load (unshown), placed upon the platform [2,actuates, through main lever M, the weight indicating hand IS, theconnection between these parts comprising a strap ll wrapped around andserving to actuate an eccentric 18 attached to the hand assembly, thehand also being formed as a unit with the pendulum assembly 20. Thelever carries a nose iron 22 which at its outer extremity is articulatedto the plunger of a dashpot, 25.

Upon its under side and also near its outer extremity the nose ironcarries a pointed bearing member, 30, adapted to rest in an agate cup,

32, carried by the U-shaped sheet metal stirrup 33. Flanges 34 areturned upwardly from the interior of the stirrup to position the agatebearing cup, which may also be cemented in position.

A relatively heavy sheet metal cross bar, 35, extends between the sidesof the stirrup at the top, and lies in a vertical plane. The ends of thecross bar project into slots in the sides of the stirrup and may bepeened to secure the parts together and stifien the assembly. Centrallyin the lower edge of the cross bar, and in vertical alignment with thecup in bearing block 32, a relatively wide slot 31, having perpendicularside edges, is provided. The mid portion of the upper edge of the slotis shaped to provide a rounded, downwardly projecting reentrant section40.

A sheet metal hanger 42 surrounds the slotted section of the cross bar,and is trapped in the slot against lateral displacement althoughotherwise freely rockable with relation to the stirrup. The lowermostportion of the hanger consists of a flat and-horizontal section 43 whichunderlies and supports the rounded portion 40, extending through andsubstantially filling the space between the side walls of the slot 31.Section 43 of the hanger is narrower than the slot however, so that thestirrup is freely rockable with relation to the hanger, universalrelative motion being provided by this mounting in cooperation with thefree flexibility of the supporting strap I! in the transverse direction.The upper ends of the hanger converge toward fiat lands which areadapted to be clamped to the strap IT, by means of a screw 45, to securethe hanger to the strap and thus support the stirrup.

The ability of the assembly to accommodate itself to the varying angularrelationships between the nose iron and the strap will be apparent.Despite its simplicity, it is of great strength, and disalignment of theparts is impossible, since the interior dimensions of the triangleformed by the sides and bottom of the hanger are too small to allow thehanger to escape from slot 31, as shown in Figure 2.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms.without departing fro the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and Itherefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appendedclaims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A stirrup for weighing scales comprising a generally U-shaped sheetmetal bearing support having substantially parallel upstanding arms, acrossbar extending between said upstanding arms substantially in avertical plane, the lower transverse edge of said crossbar having arelatively wide downwardly open notch therein, the upper wall of thenotch having a rounded downwardly projecting reentrant rocking surfacearranged substantially centrally between the sides of the notch andprojecting downwardly to an extent le'ss'thanthe fdep'th of the'not'ch,a sheetmetal hanger looped "around -sai'd"crossbar an-d loosely fittedin but substantially filling the width. of said notch and retainedbetween the sides thereof, said hanger having a substantially flat andhorizontal bottom surface underengaglng said rocking surface to rockablysupport the stirrup, and means for supporting the hanger from above thecrossbar.

2. Means as set forth in claim 1 in which the loop formed by said hangeris larger than the notched portion of the crossbar but smaller than theother portions of said crossbar, whereby disprevented.

WILLIAM ORT.

